A Broken Family
by hiddenwriter691
Summary: Korra and Mako shared one night, a night that they both agreed to forget. When Korra realizes she is pregnant, she knows it must stay secret. Five years later, she and Mako have kept a safe distance from one another, but Korra's secrets are finally coming out, secrets that could affect not only her relationship with Mako, but her future as the Avatar.
1. Prologue

**Prologue****  
**

Korra winced as she shifted on her leg, which she injured that morning. She was currently atop the giant statue of Aang that watched over Republic City. She felt a sense of awkwardness about the statue, like she always did when she thought about it. She knew that Aang had thought the statue to be too much, and her past life resonated that feeling in her.

But she wanted to look over the city that she was supposed to protect, and Aang's statue was one of the best places. The lights from the city splashing into the harbor almost made the city seem peaceful. The peace was an illusion. This was a fearful silence. Benders feared encountering a chi blocker, and non-benders feared backlash the likes of the late Tarrlok. Everyone stayed hidden when possible.

This city needed her protection and guidance, and she was abandoning it.

"Damn you, Mako," she whispered into the air.

She felt her abdomen, not finding the usually flat hard abdominal muscles she had, but rather, feeling the soft curve that was beginning to be too large to hide.

"Damn you, Korra," she whispered to herself.

She had told Tenzin she was leaving that morning. She told him that she felt that she needed to get out of the city to meditate.

"I just know that I can't be the Avatar that I need to be without air bending, Tenzin, and I can't focus on that when the city is falling around me," she told him calmly that morning.

Tenzin had frowned, suspicious and confused. "Meditation should be achieved regardless of surroundings."

"I just can't block it out." She motioned around her.

"This isn't like you, Korra. Are you okay?" He asked, moving to feel her forehead for fever.

She had jerked away. "I'm fine. I've been more in touch with Avatar Aang, and I think this is what he is trying to tell me," she lied.

Tenzin had backed off, as she knew he would. She felt guilty for lying about the will of Tenzin's father. But she couldn't defend the city while she was pregnant. And she couldn't be the image of the city as an unwed mother. No one would respect her. She had to defend that image, and she had to believe that Aang would agree with that.

She took one final look at the city before she began climbing down the statue. Naga waited at Air Temple Island. She would be in the South Pole by morning.


	2. Korra

Thank you for all the positive feedback. :) I hope you guys continue enjoying my story.

**Five Years Later**

Chapter 1- Korra

Korra could see Mako leading a group of people into the sewage system. She, Jinora, and Bolin had cleared the tunnel of any resistance Mako may encounter as he led the non-benders into the non-bending half of Republic City.

Korra didn't particularly enjoy furthering the divide between the two halves of the city, but she would rather do that than watch people die. Amon ruled the non-bending sector. There were very few benders left in that half of the city, and the ones that were benders pretended not to be. The politics of the bending half of the city were more complicated, and arguments over how to treat the non-benders were a daily occurrence.

"Did they get through?" Jinora whispered from behind her. They were hiding on the edge of a rooftop located near the sewage drain.

"They're getting there. Good job finding that abandoned section of tunnels, Jin." Korra smiled over at her. She also did not enjoy that Tenzin's fifteen-year-old daughter was fighting with them. She was way too young.

"It was obvious they existed. If anyone would just read old records from when the city was built." She sighed and leaned against the wall, tired.

"Not many people have the patience to do that." Korra smiled at her. She felt like Jinora was her little sister, as she did with all of Tenzin's children.

"Come on, ladies, time for us to go home. We shouldn't hang around too long," Bolin whispered, beginning to climb down a ladder attached to the side of the building.

They all arrived back at their compound, an old factory basement in the bending sector of the city. Jinora still went home quite often, as she was protected by her father's status. But Korra found herself in need of a place to hide often, and the brothers opted to stay with her. Bolin hardly ever left her side, calling himself her right hand man.

Jinora went home long before Mako arrived back safely. When he did arrive, he looked more exhausted than any of them. It was probably two hours until sunrise, and neither Korra nor Bolin had slept. They almost never did, especially when one of their own wasn't home.

Despite his tiredness, Mako looked urgent. His eyes found Korra.

His voice was low. "You're not going to like this."

"What?" She looked him over and immediately pulled water from the pitcher on the table. "Are you hurt? I can heal you."

"No. No." He put up his hands. "I'm just tired. But I got news from one of the non-benders. His family is from the South Pole."

Her eyes widened. There was always a sinking feeling in her stomach any time that she thought about the South Pole, and now was no different. Only this time, she felt fear as well.

"Tell me, Mako."

He sat at the table heavily, his weariness showing in his shoulders. "There's word that chi blockers are heading south now. I'm so sorry."

Mako and Bolin were both watching her for a reaction. The decision didn't take long. "I'm leaving." She turned on her heel and walked toward her room.

She heard the brothers whispering behind her. She knew what they were saying, and she didn't care. They wouldn't stop her, but they would demand that one of them go with her. But she would go alone, and she would defend her family.

* * *

I know that it's a bit confusing and it seems like some...people...are missing. Don't worry! It's coming. :)


	3. Bolin

Hey everyone! Thanks for the positive feedback. Just a note: each chapter is told from the point of view the person who is the chapter name. So, this one is Bolin. Also, I'll definitely have some flashbacks to explain some things and have some fun Makorra scenes:)

Chapter 2- Bolin

"I should go with her," Bolin told his brother. "I'm always her defender. You'd be better at defending the city in her absence."

Mako sat silently, staring at the table, and Bolin knew his brother agreed, even if he didn't like it. They didn't fight over Korra, not really. Bolin knew Korra would never love him in a romantic way, and he also knew that Mako and Korra always had something between them, even if they never did anything about it.

Bolin wondered how much that had to do with Asami's execution. Probably a lot.

"I'll make sure she gets back in one piece, I swear." Bolin smiled. "Pabu and I are excellent defenders. "

The fire ferret peeked out from Bolin's tunic at the mention of his name and licked Bolin's chin.

"I know you will," Mako said. "I'm just worried that you guys might not like what you find once you get there. Make sure that she sleeps on the way. I'm guessing she'll be leaving within the hour."

"Of course," Bolin responded, wanting to groan at the idea of not getting to sleep before fighting again.

An hour later, Bolin found himself in a shouting match with Korra.

"Korra, you can't go alone! What if you get cornered? Always bring back up! That is our motto! Your motto!" Bolin shifted his pack on his shoulders, watching Korra strap things to Naga.

"I have to do this alone. I can't explain why. Just trust me." Korra sounded defeated, but Bolin would not give in, even if he felt guilty. He'd rather her be angry with him than her be dead.

"There is no circumstance that you should go into danger without back up. I always have your back, Korra. Why won't you let me help you? Your family needs protecting."

Korra yelled at the sky and turned on him. "Fine. But here's the deal." She poked his chest. "If there is no danger, you stay with Naga, on the outskirts of town. I will go check on my family, _alone_, and you will not see anyone. Clear?"

Bolin nodded, confused, but he would accept her terms.

She did not speak to him the whole way there, and she would only nod or shake her head when he asked her a question. It was only when they got closer to a small city that she made any move at all.

"No," he heard her whisper.

He saw a smashed igloo ahead and sucked in a breath. Looks like he wouldn't be staying with Naga.

Korra tore through the small city, finding many injured non-benders, but there were no benders in sight. The victims were children and adults alike, and Bolin wanted to do something for them, but couldn't.

They didn't encounter chi blockers until they reached the far edge of town. They were obviously leaving, and these were the last group. Almost two dozen of the anti-bending soldiers were grouped together. They looked to have their giant mechanized tanks ready to go. The tanks had a long hook on the top that Bolin knew could become electrified.

"Hey, what have you done with all the benders?" Korra yelled at them, her voice hoarse.

Without responding, the soldiers turned and got into a fighting stance. One blocker sent out a rod of electricity, which Korra whipped away with a splash of water. Bolin picked up a boulder from in front of the soldier and sent it spinning toward the chi blocker's head.

"Korra!" A voice yelled from amidst the mass of soldiers.

Bolin noted how young the voice sounded, but before he could think about it, he sensed the shift in Korra. Suddenly, her bending took on a life of its own. She froze three chi blockers in ice and knocked three others out with a slam against the icy floor in a matter of seconds.

Bolin himself moved closer to the voice, taking out two soldiers using a few swift punches he had learned from Mako. He could see a small boy now, being held by two chi blockers. He had a mop of straight black hair that had been pulled from a hair tie and was hanging in wet strips over his face. The child was bound and his face was bleeding.

"Korra!" The little boy screamed at her as he bit at a chi blocker's hand.

Bolin was closer to the child, but he was lacking much earth to bend on this glacier and had a hard time fending for himself. This was more hand-to-hand fighting than bending, with which he was less comfortable.

"Idan!" Bolin heard Korra yell. "You need to be special right now. Don't hide it anymore; do you understand? Act like you're playing with Mommy."

Suddenly, there were soldiers screaming, and Bolin could hear the child crying. He turned to see what happened, and he was surprised to feel heat and smell smoke. He punched out the soldier nearest him and tried to get at the hostage child.

Soldiers no longer held the boy. He stood on the ice, with a puddle of water around him. The ropes that had bound him were burnt ashes at his feet. He was still crying.

Bolin knelt in front of him, noting the burn marks on the child's sleeves. "Man, did you bend that fire?" He asked, trying to sound friendly and impressed.

The boy took a defensive position, moving his hands into a firebending stance that Bolin knew well. "I'm not one of them." Bolin held up his hands. "I'm here with Korra. We're here to save you."

"Korra's here?" He asked, sounding like he didn't believe it.

"Yeah, didn't you see her? You were calling for her. She told you to bend fire." Bolin frowned in confusion. The child must be extremely afraid.

The boy didn't say anything, but he was now looking about wildly. "Korra!" He yelled.

Korra was still fighting the last of the chi blockers on the other side of the tank. Bolin could hear the sound of ice and water flying and the electrodes hoping to meet skin.

"Stay here, little man. I'll go help Korra," Bolin told the child.

Bolin found her facing down three more chi blockers. He got one with a hard kick to the head, while they still didn't know he was there. He provided sufficient distraction for the other two so that Korra finished them of easily.

"Where is he?" Korra asked Bolin, as he looked down at the last fallen chi blocker.

"Help!" A horrified yell erupted from the other side of the tank, and Bolin cursed himself for leaving the child alone.

Korra took off running, and both she and Bolin halted as a chi blocker held the boy with an electrified hand held only inches from the child's face.

The boy was inching away, shaking and terrified.

"If you bend, I'll put enough electricity into this glove to kill you immediately. Do you understand?" The soldier told the boy. The little firebender nodded, looking too terrified to bend anyway.

The chi-blocker looked up at Korra. "Avatar, same goes for you. You let me go, and I'll let him live."

Korra was motionless, and she obviously didn't know what to do. Bolin knew she was terrified, but she wasn't thinking straight. "Korra, he's bluffing. Those things can't give out a fatal dose of electricity," he reminded her gently.

"But Idan's small, Bolin. He's only four. It could kill him. He's so small," she almost seemed to be talking to herself, rather than him.

Bolin did not think he trusted the chi blocker either way. "Just let him go. He's only a little kid," Bolin bargained.

"He'll be a big nasty firebender one day," the man sneered and shrugged. "Might as well kill him now. He isn't worth much anyway. We've got the Avatar's parents."

As the chi blocker moved to electrocute the boy, the child let out a final plea, his arm reaching for Korra. "Mommy, help me!"

As the boy's sad call echoed in Bolin's ears and his body went limp from the electricity, Bolin thought about how sad it was that his mother was not here with him. But then he saw Korra's stricken face, and he knew.

The boy had not been calling for Korra earlier because he had seen her. The little boy had been calling for Korra because he was doing what all little children did when they were afraid. He was calling for his mother.

Bolin's mouth dropped. "No. Way."


	4. Korra 2

Thanks again for all the feedback everyone! I'm loving it :) Just to clarify, here's a list of things we know. Republic City is split into bending and non-bending sectors. Asami is dead (Don't worry, I'll explain). Korra went to the South Pole to be with her parents when she was pregnant.

**Chapter 3- Korra**

"Idan!" Korra ran toward his limp figure in the snow. The chi blocker was running away, and with every bit of anger in her, she bent snow in on him. She tried to bend it up around him and solidify it, to keep him hostage. But he was able to run faster than her freezing; she couldn't focus well enough. Her mind kept jumping to her son lying in the snow.

The chi blocker got away. She hoped he didn't realize who Idan was.

She looked over his small body. He was so big now. It had been almost six months since she'd last seen him, and he had spent every bit of that time getting larger. "Idan, please." She felt for a pulse and smiled in relief when she felt one at his wrist almost immediately.

Bolin was kneeling across from her, looking at Idan with an unreadable expression. She bent to pick up her child, and Bolin pushed her hands away. "You're tired, Korra. Let me carry him to Naga."

She followed Bolin silently. He knew now. Surely he heard Idan's cry. She could hardly wrap her mind around it. Bolin_ knew_.

"Bolin, I—"

"Let's talk later, okay?" Bolin sighed, and she worried he was mad at her. He looked at her and gave her a strained smile. "I'm very tired, and honestly I don't think my mind can take thinking about what this kid means for too long."

She tried to smile back. "I'll explain everything, I promise." She caught up with Bolin and looked over Idan's injured face. "We need to find a fire bending village before we go home. We should stay there for a few days."

Bolin didn't ask why; he only nodded. "I'll strap Idan to me while we ride Naga. It won't be the most comfortable, but we'll manage."

Korra nodded and set about strapping up Naga for travel, trying to focus on the task at hand and not worry about everything else.

* * *

They found an inn in an old fire nation colony. They only had one bed, and Bolin had already set out a mat to sleep on the floor.

Korra had bought Idan a set of traditional fire nation clothes to replace his burned water nation ones. He hardly looked water nation at all, aside from his darker complexion. She had placed a big, white square bandage over his left eye where a chi blocker had hit him. He was asleep still, tucked in his and Korra's shared bed. He had only woken for a brief moment, crying about his missing Gran Gran and Papi. Korra had assured him all she could, and he fell asleep again rather quickly. Still, she sat next to him, keeping vigil.

Bolin sat next to her. "He's very brave, Korra. Did you see him bend?"

Korra smiled, although her eyes looked sad. "He's very good, for how little he's been able to practice." She looked over at Bolin. "He only gets to bend when I take him out of the city. He's been faking as a distant relative, a non-bender, whose parents were killed in an accident."

"But he isn't a distant relative," Bolin said; it was not a question.

"No." Korra brushed some of the boy's straight jet-black hair behind his ear. "He's mine."

"And Mako's." Bolin's voice was low, almost a whisper.

"Yes." Korra bit her lip. "It was so long ago, Bolin."

"Well, start from the beginning. I'm assuming Mako doesn't know? Give me details. But not too many details." Bolin smiled, although it was a bit forced. "There are things I never need to know about my brother."

Korra sighed. "It was after the big Equalist attack, a few months before the city split. Mako and Asami were still…together, I guess. But they had a fight, and I found him." She looked over at Bolin. "I didn't think, and I didn't understand. I didn't know how complicated everything would get. It was _once_, Bolin. And we both regretted it. We pretended like nothing happened. I left Republic City when I knew I was pregnant. The city split the day after Idan's birthday. That was when I knew I had to leave Idan in the South Pole. I had already failed the City once; I couldn't let that happen again."

She looked at Bolin because this was the part that he had to understand. "I am the Avatar, Bolin. I would lose all respect if anyone knew about Idan. He had to be kept secret. I wanted to tell you and Mako, honestly. But it was better if no one knew."

Korra motioned to Idan. "I wished that he didn't know. But my mother refused. She agreed to raise and care for him, but she would not lie about who I was. She made sure he always knew."

"So you come visit every few months? He must barely know you." Bolin frowned. "And yet he calls for you when he's afraid?"

"My parents tell him stories. He thinks I'm perfect because I'm practically a legend to him." She shook her head. "When in reality, I abandoned him because Korra is the Avatar. Korra cannot be Idan's mother."

"You can do both. If there were anyone in the world who can do a good job at both of those things, it would be you. Avatars have been parents, obviously." Bolin shrugged.

"It's different, and you know it. I was seventeen, and Mako and I are far from married. We aren't even together. It's a bad image. And image has been so important in this war. Benders have to maintain an image of morality, especially the Avatar. I have to be the best that a bender can be."

"I understand." Bolin watched Idan. "I just know how much it sucks to grow up without parents. And his are still alive!"

Korra nodded. "Well, Amon has my parents, so now he has to come with us." The knot in her stomach had only slightly lessened now that she had Idan safe.

"What do we tell everyone about him?" Bolin asked.

"We say that while we were on our way back, we tried to save a firebending family, but only managed to save Idan." Korra sighed. "Idan is good at lying. It will work just fine. He'll have no need to fake being afraid."

"He'll be able to pretend you aren't his mom?" Bolin raised his eyebrows.

"He's been doing it for years. Notice that he called me 'Korra' up until he thought he was dying." Korra shrugged. "I don't like it. But I'm proud of him. He's so strong."

Bolin sighed, shaking his head. "I think it's bedtime for Pabu and I." Bolin patted the fire ferret, who was sniffing Idan curiously.

"I think Pabu may want to sleep with Idan," Korra commented.

"He's always preferred little kids, the disloyal jerk." Bolin shook his head with a smile. "My nephew is going to steal my pet away."

As Bolin walked away, Korra smiled at the thought. Bolin was the perfect uncle, and even if Idan didn't know Bolin was related to him, she was glad that Bolin would be in his life.


	5. Bolin 2

Thanks, Everyone! Glad you're enjoying it. Don't worry, Mako is coming soon (next chapter)! They're almost home :)

Also, sorry for not updating over the weekend, but my birthday was this weekend. So I've been out and about. ;)

**Chapter 4- Bolin**

Bolin woke up early the next day. The floor wasn't the most comfortable for sleeping. He turned his head and saw Idan playing with Pabu on the ground. The little boy was laughing.

"Hey," Bolin said softly, trying not to wake the still-sleeping Korra.

Idan jumped, immediately growing more shy, but he looked over at Bolin. "Hello, Mr. Bolin."

Bolin smiled. "You can call me Uncle Bolin." He paused, realizing that Idan's father was a secret. He added, "Because your mom and I are practically brother and sister."

Idan nodded. "But I'm not allowed to call her that. She's Korra. So I should call you Bolin?"

For some reason, that made Bolin very sad. There was something about calling someone 'mom' that was special. "You can call me Uncle Bolin. It will be okay. I promise. No one will find anything out."

Idan let Pabu curl up in his lap, and he was petting the fire ferret idly. "Why am I a secret, Uncle Bolin?"

Bolin scratched his head. "Well, you know that your mom is special, right?"

Idan smiled and nodded. "She's the Avatar. She protects everyone."

"Yeah. Well, if people knew about you, you would be in danger because your mom loves you. And that means bad men might use you to hurt your mom." He saw the fear that began to grow in Idan's eyes. "But you're secret, and so you're safe. Korra and me and my brother _and_ all of our friends are in Republic City to keep you safe."

Idan jumped up to standing, Pabu falling to the ground with a yelp. "I'm going with you? I get to stay with Korra?"

"Yeah, buddy, you do." Bolin was happy for the kid, but he couldn't help but worry about how kind Republic City would be for him.

"What's it like?" Idan walked over and sat right next to Bolin. "Is it huge? Is it warm? It's so cold at home."

"Yeah. It's definitely warmer than the South Pole. There are lots of huge buildings." Bolin sat up and faced Idan. "But you have to be careful there. There is lots of fighting. You have to stay with an adult at all times."

"Everyone at home talks about how bad people are in Republic City, but they also say that it is pretty and big." Idan's face fell a bit. "Gran Gran used to tell me about it." He looked up at Bolin. "Are my grandparents dead?"

Bolin shook his head, although he wasn't sure. "I don't think so, Idan. They just might have their bending taken away."

Idan frowned. "That would be awful."

"I know," Bolin nodded.

"Are you a bender?" Idan asked.

"Yeah. I'm an earthbender."

"Cool! I've never met an earthbender before." Idan smiled. "Will you bend something?"

"Uh..." He looked around the room. Ah, the room had a potted plant in the corner. He lifted the dirt, with the flower still in it, and brought it over, letting it hover in between he and Idan.

"Cool. I heard that some earth benders can see with their feet. Is that true?" He looked at Bolin's feet, as if they were magic.

"Some can use the earth to 'see' in a sense, yeah. I've never really tried." Bolin shrugged. "I mostly learned fighting styles."

"Will you teach me to fight?" Idan looked eager.

"Maybe. We'll have to ask your mom first." He thought about how Mako could teach Idan firebending. He wondered what Korra would say to Mako. Was she going to tell him the truth? What would happen then?

"Can I wake her up now? She's been sleeping _forever_." He hopped to his feet and jumped on the bed.

"Idan-" Bolin tried, but Idan was already jumping on the bed.

"Korra! Korra! Korra!" Idan yelled.

"Wha?" Korra blinked a few times, and Idan landed on his butt next to her.

"Uncle Bolin says we're going to Republic City!"

Korra's eyes widened. "Uncle Bo-?"

"He said I could call him Uncle Bolin because you're like a sister to him, and he said that it was okay because it would still be a secret that you're my mom." Idan smiled over at Bolin, showing off that he was listening.

"Well _Uncle_ Bolin is right. We are going to Republic City, but we're going to stay here for a few days. And I need to cut your hair. You look too water nation with it long." Korra rubbed her eyes.

"But I am water nation." Idan tilted his head.

_You've also got fire and earth nation in you, kid, _Bolin thought to himself.

"Yes," Korra said, hesitantly. Obviously, she had not told him his father was a firebender. He'd figure out soon enough, Bolin figured. "But you can firebend. So you're going to pretend to be from a firebending family while we are in Republic City, okay?"

Idan shrugged, looking confused. "Alright."

"We're going to tell people we rescued you from a fire nation village. Do you understand?" Korra put a gentle hand on his face.

"Yeah. It's pretend. Just like when we're at home." Idan shrugged. "Gran Gran said lots of people at home had figured it out though."

"Figured what out?" Korra asked.

"That you're my mom. But they're our friends, and they would never tell the secret." Idan smiled.

Bolin sucked in a breath. That reminded him of the chi blocker who heard Idan call Korra 'mommy.' Hopefully the chi blocker thought that Idan was just scared, but Bolin would not bet anyone on that. They would have to watch the Equalists for any talk of the Avatar having a child.

Korra also looked troubled, although whether by the same thought as him or this news of her home village friends, he couldn't tell.

"We'll talk about this later. Are you ready for a haircut?" Korra smiled at him.

"Can I get it cut like Uncle Bolin? He's cool. He's an earthbender."

"We'll see what we can do," Korra said, giving Bolin a look as she stood up from her bed.

Bolin smiled and shrugged, starting to roll up the blankets he had slept on. "The kid could do worse than looking as handsome as I do."

"Yeah, I want to look handsome!" Idan jumped back up and started bouncing on the bed.

Bolin laughed. "Well come on, let's go get that hair cut."

A few hours later, they were back in their room, and Korra was wielding scissors. She chopped his hair about the same length as Bolin's, but Idan's hair was much spikier. When they were done, Idan was shaking his head about, wondering at how light his head felt without the shoulder-length he was used to.

"Do I look like you?" Idan smiled up at Bolin.

_No,_ Bolin thought. _You look just like Mako._ Well, Mako with a tan. Cutting his hair may not have been the best option for keeping Idan's anonymity. But he guessed many people didn't know what Mako had looked like as a kid.

Bolin looked at Korra, who he bet was thinking the same thing as him. Her face was troubled, and he wished that he could somehow make her feel better.

"You look awesome, man. Just wait 'til the ladies get a hold of you." Bolin ruffled Idan's spiky hair.

"You look _way_ more handsome than Bolin," Korra added, smiling wickedly at him.

"I don't know about all that. We'll have to ask the next cute girl we see. Right, Idan?" Bolin flexed a muscle, and Idan started doing the same.

"Yeah," Idan said, contorting his features in an attempt to make a stern macho man face.

"Hey! Am I not a cute girl?" Korra put her hands on her hips and glared at them.

"You're biased," Bolin shrugged. "You can't help your mommy instincts."

Idan giggled.

"Ugh." Korra pushed Bolin playfully.

Bolin realized he and Korra had not joked around with one another in a long time. And that made him feel really happy, a feeling he had not felt in a long time. Maybe everything was worse now that Korra's parents were with Amon, but just maybe Idan could remind them all what they were even fighting for.


	6. Mako

Mako chapter! Finally. Don't worry, there'll only be more from here on out! Thanks for all the reviews!

Also, just a note to Elysse, thanks for the input :) I know that my descriptive abilities are my major weak point. It's a major challenge for me. I somewhat use storytelling as a way to get better, so I'll try my best. Thanks for the input!

And thanks to those reviewers that wished be a happy birthday :)

**Chapter 5- Mako**

Mako had always prided himself on his ability to keep working even when he was afraid or alone. Now was no different. When he was out, he could almost pretend like Korra and Bolin were back at the compound, safe.

However, when they still weren't back after four days, he began to grow distracted. He could hardly focus on the usual surveys of the city that their group usually took part in. He and Jinora were sitting side by side, watching a particularly violent sector of the bending half Republic City for any foul play.

"Do you think they'll be back soon?" She asked, glancing at him only briefly. She never wore her air acolyte clothing while on these watches. So she was wearing some old clothes that the brothers had lent her. She looked ridiculous, and the clothes swallowed her whole, but they were less conspicuous than the orange uniform of the airbenders.

Mako had always respected Jinora, even if they had never really talked much. They both were silent unless spoken to, and for that, they had a mutual respect. He even felt a sort of big brother protectiveness over her, as he knew Korra and Bolin did.

"Yeah." Mako assured her, as much as himself. "They know how to take care of themselves. And we would know if either of them had been captured; Amon would want everyone to know. They're two faces of the rebellion against him." Mako tried to sound confident, even though he was not entirely certain Amon would play his cards that way.

Jinora nodded, turning back to a little notebook in which she would write observations of the city.

Later that night, Mako was alone in the compound, the day having been quite boring. He didn't feel like going out into the city now. Worry was beginning to distract him. What if something had happened to them?

When he heard commotion from the door, he stood, readying himself in case these visitors were unfriendly. However, when he saw Bolin, he relaxed. He realized something was off, though. Bolin was carrying two large bags, one slung over his shoulder and one lugged in his hand. He was carrying both his and Korra's things.

Korra would never let Bolin carry anything for him.

"Where's Korra? Is she hurt?" He demanded of his brother. Bolin had still not looked him in the eye.

Bolin looked awkward, nervous. "Uh. No. She's coming."

"What happened? How are Korra's parents?" Mako didn't understand why Bolin was acting so strangely.

"They were taken." Bolin's face fell. "We were too late. But-" He took a heavy breath, as if bracing himself. "We found some of the chi blockers in an old fire nation city on our way back. They were assaulting a family of firebenders. We got them to tell us that they had the Avatar's parents...and we were able to save a child from the firebending group. But only the child."

Mako narrowed his eyes. Bolin looked so nervous. He was lying about something. He was never good at hiding his emotions.

"Boli-" He began to question his brother further, but then Korra walked in...with a child on her hip.

The first thing that he noted was that she was uninjured. Thank goodness.

Then he saw the firebending child that Bolin had told him about. Mako had never been very good at guessing ages, but he could tell the boy was almost too big for Korra to be carrying.

The child wore the traditional robes of the old fire nation, which supported Bolin's story of them visiting a firebender's city. He was grasping Korra tightly, and his face was hidden in her neck.

"Sorry. He's a bit nervous about new people," Korra said, with a laugh. It was a forced laugh. Almost as if she were lying too.

"Is he hurt?" Mako asked, trying to figure out what everyone was so tense about.

"No. He's fine...physically." Korra gave Bolin a look.

Bolin ignored Korra and looked to Mako. "He's gone through a lot in the last few days."

Mako relaxed, realizing that being on the defensive would not help anyone. "Sorry. I haven't slept much since you guys left. I'm glad you made it intact." He looked to Korra. She had her head bent to the little boy's ear, whispering. "I'm sorry about your parents, Korra."

She looked up at him, her blue eyes looking tired. "I'm sure Amon will make his offer soon enough."

Mako decided not to question them further about things that might scare the little boy. He studied the child in Korra's arms. He seemed quite attached to her. "So, has he told you his name?"

Korra did not look at him as she spoke. "His name is Idan."

"Hello," Mako said, stepping toward Korra. He rested his hand on the boy's back. He had never really dealt with small children, except for his brother...and those they encountered on the street. A little boy who had just had his parents taken away though, Mako could understand. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend of Korra and Bolin."

The boy gripped Korra tighter.

"Idan, Mako is a friend." Korra's voice was more gentle than he had ever heard it. All of her impatience and anger was gone. Mako wasn't sure he had ever heard her speak like that. "And guess what? He's a firebender too."

At that, Idan's muscles relaxed. He brought his head from Korra's neck and looked over at Mako. "You can firebend?" The boy looked hesitantly excited. .

"Yeah. Can you?" Mako smiled at him. The boy looked very familiar to him, but he dismissed the thought. He hardly knew any children from outside of Republic City.

"Yes."

Idan moved to hide again, but Mako held out a hand. He brought a lick of fire to his palm, letting it flicker in front of Idan's eyes. "Will you show me?"

Idan watched the flame dance, his molten amber eyes flickering in the light. Mako remembered how the fire distracted him after his parents died. He remembered how strong he felt around the flame, even when everything felt like it was falling apart.

"Korra, will you let me down?" Idan whispered.

She set him down gently. Idan straightened his clothes, as if he were uncomfortable in them. Then he held out his tiny fingers. He closed his eyes. A small flame flickered to life in his palm. He smiled brightly. It was a joyous smile, filled with no worry or pain. He was experiencing the simple joy of mastering fire.

Mako knew the feeling.

At that moment, he decided really liked this kid. Idan reminded him of himself.

"Good! That's impressive." Mako squatted down to Idan's level. "How old are you? Do you have much training?"

Idan looked nervous, but Mako guessed that was to be expected. He stuttered out, "I'm four and a half. I wasn't allowed to firebend 'cause in my village everyone pretends to be normal."

Mako winced at the phrase. Amon was a genius with wordplay, and he had popularized calling non-benders "normal people," which did not seem so bad, until people started calling benders "special." Nothing breeds resentment more than people who feel less than special. The vernacular of "normal" had spread like wildfire, and it needed to change. As it stood, Amon was hoping to make everyone "normal," which made his agenda seem reasonable.

"Yeah. It's too bad, isn't it? This civil war is all you've known." He sighed and smiled at Idan. "Well, Korra and I will teach you firebending, of course."

Idan looked up at Korra. "Can I? Really?"

Mako frowned. Why did he ask Korra for permission? He barely knew her.

"We have to teach you to defend yourself, if you're to stay with us," Korra said, smiling brightly.

The boy yelped in joy. "Yes! This is the best!" He hugged Korra's legs tightly.

Mako raised his eyebrows. The boy was staying with _them_? Surely Korra didn't expect to just adopt this kid; Korra was not the type to develop a connection to a child so fast. He looked over at Bolin, who was watching the floor intently, scraping it with his toe.

"We thought Idan could stay in my room," Korra said, sounding awkward again. "Since I have the biggest room and all."

She held out her hand for the boy. "Idan, come on. Let's get you a place to sleep before having fun." He followed immediately, completely obedient.

Mako looked to his brother when they were out of hearing range. "She wants to keep him here? This isn't any place for a child."

Bolin would not meet his eyes. "He doesn't have anywhere else to go, Mako."

"It's not like he's a stray dog. We're all just kids. We can't take care of him." Mako liked Idan, but that didn't mean he should live with them. There were families they could put him with where he could hide, somewhere where people didn't risk their lives every day trying to resist against a violent government

"Where should he go then, Mako?" Bolin's voice grew harsh. "We're the best people for the job, trust me."

"No, we aren't." He didn't understand what his brother was thinking. "We're not parents."

Bolin shrugged. "Doesn't matter. There isn't any place safe for him. He's a bender. We can take care of him. End of story. That's what we are here for."

"Well what about his parents? They'll want him back eventually, if we find them, even if their bending is taken away."

Bolin stiffened. "He should stay here. I'll stay with him when you and Korra are out."

"Why are you both so keen on him being here? Is there anything I need to know about him?" Mako put his hands on his brother's shoulders, trying to force him to tell the truth.

"He needs us, Mako." Bolin shrugged him off and walked to his room, slamming his door behind him.

Well, Korra and Bolin had made it back safe, but Mako still felt uneasy. He had a feeling nothing was going to be the same. Something happened to them while they were gone, and he felt like it probably had something to do with Idan.


	7. Korra 3

Okay, this chapter is a bit different because it contains a flashback. The flashback is in _italics_ so it should be easy to spot. This chapter is also mostly about backstory :)

Once again, thanks for reviews! You're all awesome, and I read every single one :)

**Chapter 6- Korra**

Korra knew she should tell Mako. But how?

How is she supposed to explain to him why she didn't tell him in the first place? At the time, she felt like she was saving him. In the weeks following that one night with Mako, he and Asami seemed to make up, at least, they were talking when she saw them together.

She could tell Mako was being less affectionate with Asami than he had been previously. She knew he was probably doing that to spare her feelings, and for that, she was grateful.

It was not long after that that Asami was taken.

Korra still remembered the day that everything turned for the worse, when the war finally found their front door. She and Bolin had been playing a game of cards on Air Temple Island, with Ikki and Jinora sitting nearby.

_"I totally won that round, Bolin. Come on!" Korra laughed at him. _

_ Jinora was shaking her head. "This game has no basis in skill, you guys. It's just chance who gets the better cards. Why does it matter who wins?" _

_ "Because the cards obviously love me more than Korra," Bolin explained._

_ Korra shook her head. She enjoyed moments when she just got to hang out with Bolin. Bolin was safe, and Bolin made her feel cared about. Mako, on the other hand, reminded her of her mistakes. Mako reminded her that not all was well with her. _

_ Her period was late, very late._

_ It was probably just a result of too much exercise or too much stress. _

_ She couldn't be pregnant. _

_ Couldn't be..._

_ "Korra?" Bolin was snapping his fingers in front of her. _

_ "What? Yeah. No. I won." Korra smiled, wiping the thoughts from her mind. She didn't need to dwell on things that might happen right now, not when lots of things were definitely happening. _

_ Meelo came running into the room with wind blowing around him, dancing urgently. "Daddy's coming. Bad. Bad. Bad."_

_ Right behind him came Tenzin, looking grim. "I need Bolin and Korra with me. Mako's just arrived back. He's injured." The elder airbender looked to Jinora. "Take your brother and sister upstairs."_

_ Korra's heart stopped beating. Bolin stood immediately, his eyes looking worried. He held out a hand for Korra, and she took it. _

_ They walked hand in hand behind Tenzin until they reached the hospital wing of the Air Temple. _

_ "I don't know what happened," Tenzin whispered. "But Asami is not back, and Mako is pretty badly injured."_

_ "Will he...you know...be okay?" Bolin ran his fingers through his hair, stressed. _

_ "He will recover. But I don't know what happened." Tenzin sighed. "He collapsed when he arrived here, but they revived him. He wants to talk to you two."_

_ Korra and Bolin walked into the infirmary. It smelled sterile, and Korra wrinkled her nose. Mako was the only occupant. His head was wrapped in gauze with blood already seeping through it. He was not wearing a shirt, but his chest was covered in a diagonally and horizontally wrapped bandage. It seemed that he sustained some sort of injury across his abdomen and chest. Aside from the head and side injuries though, he was covered in small scratches and bruises._

_ He looked up at them, his eyes looking more sad than Korra had ever seen them._

_ "Amon has Asami," he whispered. "I failed." _

_ Korra hated herself just then for all of the thoughts of jealousy she had been harboring toward Asami for the last few weeks. _

_ "She isn't a bender. What could he possibly do to her?" Bolin reasoned._

_ "But she is friends with us, and we are quickly rising on the 'People Amon wants to Hurt' category." Mako shifted and winced. _

_ "We'll get her back," Korra promised. _

_ Mako met her gaze. "Korra, it's my fault. It's all my fault. I should have let you come with us."_

_ "There was no reason to think that anything would go wrong, Mako." She sat down on his hospital bed. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She may not be dating him, but that didn't mean that she could not hold his hand. Just like she held Bolin's hand, right? "Just tell us what happened."_

_ Mako proceeded to describe how he and Asami had broken into the office of a very politically powerful non-bender. Everything had been going fine; they knew no one was around the office. But they did not hear the sound of the chi blockers as they surrounded the room, repelling from the rooftop of the building, only to crash through the windows and surprise them._

_ The whole time Mako told the story, he was devastated. _

_ In the weeks that followed Asami's capture, huge propoganda campaigns were based around this incident. Amon made it seem like Asami had been part of some great bending conspiracy to kill many politically powerful non-benders. Mako blamed himself; it had been his idea for them to collect information on one of the non-benders. He just didn't expect to get caught in that office. It was the perfect set up for Amon. _

_ Amon threatened all sorts of horrible things for the benders if the Avatar and her friends did not turn themselves in in exchange for Asami's life. Mako was half crazy with guilt enough to do it. Bolin was torn, confused about why Korra had all of the sudden stopped talking to him and utterly at a loss of how to help Mako feel better. _

_ However, Korra was torn by her own worries. She was almost positively certain that she was pregnant now. She knew all the signs, and it was becoming naive to think anything different. She could not tell Mako that she was pregnant now. It wasn't the right thing to do. _

_ She wanted to help Asami, but she felt a clock ticking inside of her. Soon, there would be no saving and no fighting for her._

_ Korra knew she would have to leave soon. Pema and Tenzin's fourth child, so newly born, was just adding to Korra's distraction. The baby's crying was ringing in her mind, and she could have sworn that Pema was starting to notice... _

"Korra," Idan started shaking her, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?" She blinked at him, still a bit surprised he was here at all.

"Where are Gran Gran and Papi?" He was sitting on a cot that she had set up for him at the foot of her bed.

She could read on his face that he missed them. He looked even more sad than when one of her visits at the South Pole ended. Her heart broke a little because she wasn't really his mother; she didn't raise him to be who he was. Her parents did that, and he missed them dearly because they were his parents too.

"Come here, Idan." She opened her arms, and he hesitantly crawled over and cuddled up to her.

She held him tight and let her chin rest on his head.

"I'm going to get them back, Idan," she whispered. She tried to ignore that those were very similar to the words she had told Mako after he lost Asami.

The difference was that she was going to be successful this time.


	8. Mako 2

Hey! Guys, I'm so sorry! I left my flash drive (with all my writing on it) at work Wednesday, and I just was able to grab it today. Don't hate me too much! Thanks sooooooo much for the reviews. You're all awesome. Also, there's probably going to be some identity revealing in the next two chapters. Stay tuned :)

**Chapter 7- Mako**

Bolin and Idan were best friends. Bolin had taken to watching Idan when Korra went out, rather than being her bodyguard, as he had before. Idan followed him everywhere if Korra wasn't around. Mako almost felt a little jealous because Idan definitely seemed to prefer Bolin. Then he felt stupid, because he should not be jealous for the attention of a four year old.

He could not help that he had grown rather fond of him.

Mako taught him some firebending when he could, but he found that he did not have as much time anymore. Korra was on a very passionate mission to collect information on her parents. He and Korra were the best fighters and spies they had, and so he had yet to have babysitting duty.

Korra seemed particularly keen not to talk to Mako much when they went out together. She would not talk about Idan at all, or about she and Bolin's trip. She only told him the bare basics. Her parents had been taken before she got there, and now they had to figure out where they were.

But there were so many bender prisons, and so few sources of information. Tenzin was doing his best to help, but he was so tied up politically that he found it hard to move much.

Two weeks passed, and Mako could see that Korra was starting to get worried. She tried not to talk about her parents around Idan, as it seemed to upset him. In fact, Mako barely saw Korra and Idan interact at all, and when they did, it was always very close. Apparently, Korra liked kids, and kids liked her. Mako never would have guessed that.

At the current moment, Korra was out trying to gather more information. Bolin and Idan were playing some ridiculous game involving dressing Pabu up in bright colors and teaching him dance patterns.

"Mako!" Idan called over. "Come see what we made Pabu do!"

Mako could not even find it in him to make fun of Bolin about his Pabu antics like he usually did. Suddenly, Bolin's childishness was warranted: Idan loved it.

Mako walked over and took a seat on a couch near where Bolin and Idan were playing.

"Okay, Pabu, now when Uncle Bolin says go, you do the dance, okay?" Idan clapped his hands, and Pabu raised himself on his hindquarters.

"Go!" Bolin shouted.

Mako could hardly believe he was actually sitting through a fire ferret dancing, but he didn't have the heart to move. Not when Idan seemed so keen on him watching.

Pabu finished his routine, curling around Idan's shoulders. Idan looked up at Mako.

"So what did you think Uncle Mako?" Idan asked, laughing as the fire ferret licked his neck.

Bolin raised his eyebrows, looking amused. "Yeah, _Uncle_ Mako."

Mako smiled a bit, at least he got the same title as Bolin "Good job. I couldn't get Pabu to do that if I tried."

"Wait a minute," Idan stood suddenly, excited. "I need to go get something from Korra's room."

As the little boy walked off, Bolin leaned against the couch and glanced up at his brother. "I'm impressed that you sat through that whole thing. You didn't do that for me when I made Pabu choreographies."

Mako shoved Bolin playfully. "You're a grown man, and I'm trying to get Idan to like me. He seems rather taken with you and Korra."

Bolin shrugged, looking down at his hands. "That's because I'm a kid, even if I am twenty one years old."

Mako leaned back. "I'm not very fun, I guess. Idan probably just thinks I'm boring."

Bolin laughed. "Are you kidding me? He thinks you're awesome. He talks about you a lot." He paused for a moment, an unreadable expression crossing Bolin's face. "He says he wants to be as good a firebender as you are someday."

"Really?" Mako leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah." Bolin sighed and crossed his arms. "You should just play with him more. I think you'd both like it."

"I'm no good at playing," Mako shrugged. He had never had time to learn how to play. He had become his brother's parent way too soon. He hardly even remembered childhood.

Bolin was chewing on his lip, a sign that he was thinking hard about something. Then he put on his determined face, the kind he got right before a pro-bending match. "You know what, you and Idan are going to play. Right now. It would be good for you. I'm going to go take a nap."

Mako held up his hands. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Sure it is." Bolin stood and smiled. "I love naps."

Bolin strode off to his room, while Mako tried to think of what to talk to a four-year-old about.

When Idan arrived back in the room, he looked around, confused. "Where is Uncle Bolin?"

Mako tried to appear relaxed, which he wasn't. "Uh, looks like it's just going to be you and I."

Idan shrugged. "I was going to show Uncle Bolin a book that Korra got me. But I guess I can show him later."

"You can show it to me, if you want."

Idan hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Mako nodded. "I like books."

The little boy shrugged and plopped himself next to Mako on the couch. He opened the book and then looked over at the older firebender. "I was wondering...why do you wear a scarf? It's not cold here. And you're a firebender. Are you cold?"

Mako laughed, picking up a bit of his scarf with his fingers. "No. I'm not cold. This...this scarf belonged to my dad." Mako looked at the fabric, beginning to fray in some places. It was getting old. "My dad died when I was a kid."

Idan dropped his head. "I'm sorry. My friend, Shana, her dad died right before I left. It made her very sad. I made her a necklace out of some reeds to make her feel better."

"What about you, Idan? How are you feeling?" Mako placed a hand on Idan's back. Mako remembered when his mom did that for him when he was sad.

"I'm afraid of people getting hurt." Idan fiddled with the edges of the paper on his book. The book was starting to fray just like Mako's scarf.

"Wait, how old is this book?" Mako asked, tilting his head.

"I don't know. I've had it forever," Idan shrugged, obviously lost in his sad thoughts.

"But you said Korra gave it to you." Mako furrowed his brow. "Have you met her before?"

Idan looked up at Mako, terrified. "I didn't say anything!" He jumped off the couch and ran back toward his room, book in hand.

Mako ran after him, easily catching up with the boy. He squatted in front of him, holding him still. "What's wrong?"

"Korra's my friend!" Idan said, starting to cry. "She's helping me find my family."

"I'm sorry. I know she's helping," Mako said calmly, hoping that Idan would calm down.

Idan let a few tears fall, but he didn't really start crying. Mako let him take his book back to his room. Idan came back out of the room, watching Mako with what seemed like fear.

Mako didn't want a child to fear him, and so he decided to ask Korra about the book later and leave Idan alone. They stood in silence for a few second, and Mako could tell Idan was going to run away again. But Mako didn't want that.

"Would you like to learn some more firebending?" Mako offered with a smile, attempting to change the subject.

Idan smiled, hesitatingly. "Will you teach me the thing with the lightening?"

Mako shook his head, laughing. "That's hard. Let's save that for when you're older."

Idan crossed his arms. "I'm strong enough!"

"You don't want to risk that, Idan. If you don't control the electricity correctly, you'll hurt yourself."

Idan rolled his eyes. "It's the same thing with fire. Why can I bend fire but not lightening?"

"You should also be very careful around fire. But lightening is a lot harder to control," Mako explained, "Trust me. I fried my brother's dinner the first time I tried it."

Idan giggled. "What happened?"

"Bolin was eating some noodles, and I bent some electricity straight into the bowl. The noodles were burnt to a crisp, and the bowl shattered. You know how he is about his food."

Mako smiled as Idan laughed. He held out a hand, and the young firebender took it happily. Mako let him to the large room that the group used to practice their bending in their downtime. The ground was earth for Bolin and the walls were metal so that they would not burn. Korra had brought in troughs of water to line the walls so that she would have plenty of water to bend. They had also created makeshift training equipment, similar to what they had in the old pro-bending arena.

"Fine, but promise to teach me when I'm big?" Idan asked, swinging his hand in Mako's.

"I'm sure your parents will teach you, when we get them out," Mako told him, hoping that thought would make him feel better.

Idan stopped swinging Mako's arm, and he stopped smiling. He shrugged noncommittally, and Mako wondered what he was thinking.

"What's going on, Idan?"

The little boy shook his head. "Nothing."

Mako sighed. He bet Idan would have told Bolin what was wrong. "Alright, I won't ask any more questions. How about we just firebend?"

Idan nodded, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Come on, Idan." Mako smiled and put his hands into a defensive stance. "Give me your best shot."

Idan dropped his sad face and traded it for a focused one. He positioned his arms and feet conscientiously, and then did a whirlwind move that Korra taught him, building fire into a wheel and then sending it rolling at Mako by spinning his arms around in a complete rotation.

Mako analyzed the attack. The fire was well focused and controlled, perhaps a bit weak, but that would come with age and practice. All in all, it was a good move, and he was impressed.

Mako positioned himself firmly and bent the flame away from him and into one of the water troughs, sending a sputtering of steam up. Idan liked watching the steam, and the boy smiled as the water evaporated.

"Good move!" Mako praised. "Now try the dragon move I was showing you last time."

Idan groaned, but he was moving into the proper stance.

Mako smiled. Maybe he didn't quite have the skill to be Idan's friend like Bolin yet. But he definitely could make Idan into an amazing firebender, far better than most children his age. Perhaps he could even figure out a way to continue teaching Idan after they rescued his parents.

Yeah, Mako definitely had to admit, he had developed quite a liking for the little firebender.


	9. Korra 4

Thanks for all the reviews/favs/etc, lovely readers. I've been super busy the last few days, but this chapter is a bit longer, so hopefully it makes up for it! Thanks for reading! :)

**Chapter 8- Korra**

Korra strode into their compound feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks. She couldn't wait to tell Idan. She had information.

There was no one in the main room when she walked in, and she saw Bolin's door was closed, which usually meant he was sleeping. She checked her room, but Idan wasn't there. Then she heard the sound of her son's laughter coming from the training room.

She rounded the corner into the training room and found Idan and Mako writing their names in fire in the air. Idan seemed to only be able to hold fire in the shape of an 'I' and a 'd.' Then the fire would dissipate. Mako wrote 'Idan' for him, smiling down at the small boy.

Korra's heart lurched when she watched the two boys, one looking like a small version of the other from behind. She had to tell Mako, soon. He would be much more angry if he found out from anyone but her, which is why she was reluctant to leave Idan alone with Mako at all.

But right now, she was most concerned with sharing her information.

Mako was spinning a ball of bright blue fire for Idan when she walked into the room. She quietly pulled some water from one of the troughs and sent it flying toward the fire ball. It doused immediately in a fit of steam.

Idan and Mako both turned, smiling at her at the same time. "Korra!" Idan yelped, running toward her and hugging her legs.

She ruffled his hair. "Hey, is Mako teaching you well?"

"Yeah, he showed me how to make a dragon out of fire! I'm not very good at it though." Idan shrugged but smiled.

"Good job, buddy. You'll have to show me sometime." She knelt down. "Will you go to your room? I need to talk to Mako about something."

Idan nodded, scurrying off. "Pabu!" He yelled as he walked toward their room.

Korra turned to Mako, leaning against the wall. "I found some information. Amon is transferring a group of water benders tomorrow to a new holding facility, near the south dock."

She had told Idan to leave because she knew that this news would excite him, and Mako would wonder why Idan cared about Korra's parents.

"Excellent. We need to make a plan." Mako rubbed his hands together, a look of contemplation forming. He began to walk out of the practice chamber, and Korra followed him.

"Yeah. I'll contact Jinora, and you should go wake Bolin up," she told him.

Mako nodded, seeming distracted. "Alright, let's meet back here in half an hour to give Jinora time to get here."

Later that night, they had a full plan. Jinora had arrived and told them Tenzin was going to help them fight. So the next day, Tenzin, Jinora, Mako, and Korra would all go to the South Dock to try to intercept the water benders and hopefully find Korra's parents. Bolin would stay with Idan.

Throughout the evening, Korra could tell Mako wanted to talk to her about something, but she avoided being left alone with him. She wanted to wait to tell him about Idan until after she got her parents back, so he would be less distracted. It was getting harder to lie to him. She locked herself in her room earlier than she usually went to bed, to avoid Mako and so that she could talk to Idan about her good news.

Poor Idan was stir crazy from being holed up in his room while the adults planned. He seemed only slightly peeved with her when she started talking to him.

"Hey, I'm sorry today has been boring." She smiled at him and sat at the foot of her bed, closest to his cot.

"Why couldn't I play with Bolin like usual?" He asked, balling up a bit of blanket in his fist, showing that he was upset.

Korra reached out a hand and smoothed his hair. "We had to make a plan, buddy." She smiled. "We might have found Gran-Gran and Papi."

Idan looked up, his eyes sparkling. "Really?"

"We hope so. It may not be them, but from what I heard, it's a pretty good chance." Her source had made it sound like this was specifically for the waterbenders Amon had captured, particularly ones from the South Pole. Her parents _had_ to be there. They just had to.

"Are you and Uncle Mako going to fight?" Idan asked, tilting his head.

_Uncle Mako?_ Her heart skittered over the words. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yeah. And Jinora and Tenzin. Uncle Bolin will stay with you, like usual."

Idan had not met Tenzin, and he had met Jinora briefly. But Korra had told him all sorts of stories about them, so Idan was familiar with their names. Korra knew that Tenzin and Jinora probably thought the presence of the firebending orphan was strange, just as Mako had, but Tenzin didn't ask questions. Jinora was probably too distracted to think too much about it. Thank goodness for that.

Idan was all smiles, and then he began to frown. "Korra, what will happen when we save Gran-Gran and Papi? Will I leave and go with them back home?"

Korra paused. She hadn't thought about it; she just wanted her parents safe. Even if she told Mako, she would hopefully have her parents freed soon, and then what? She and Mako weren't the mother and father Idan was used to. She wasn't even sure that they were cut out for the job.

"I don't know. What do you want?" She asked him.

Idan looked down and shrugged. "I like being here with you and Uncle Bolin and Uncle Mako. But I'd miss Gran-Gran and Papi."

Korra found that she didn't really want Idan to leave. It was hard being away from him for so long and even harder to watch him become less and less close to her with each visit.

"You can split your time. You can stay with me sometimes and with your grandparents other times," Korra offered, although she knew how difficult that would be, and how dangerous Republic City was these days.

However, if Amon kept spreading his influence, it wouldn't much matter where she hid Idan.

Idan nodded vigorously. "I promise I'd be good!" He crawled over onto her bed and gave her a hug. "I would even help you fight once I'm big enough!"

Korra felt like crying. Her parents somehow raised the best little kid. She hugged him back hard. "I love you, Idan. Never, ever forget that, okay?"

"I love you too, Momma."

The mixture of his sweet voice and his soft smell assaulted her senses, and she was so very happy. At that moment, she could have told just about anyone Idan was hers. She was so proud.

"Korra, why are you crying? Are you afraid of fighting tomorrow?" Idan asked, looking at her face with alarm.

"No, Idan. Everything will be fine." Korra sniffed and wiped away a tear. "I just miss you a lot when I have to leave you in the South Pole. I'm glad you're here. These are happy tears."

Idan watched her for a second, obviously not understanding. Then he shrugged. "Okay."

"Now, bedtime. We both need sleep." Korra pointed to his sheets with with a stern look. She made sure to smile too.

"Ugh. Do I have to? I didn't even do anything today." Idan frowned.

"Yes. Just lay down. You'll fall asleep; I promise." Korra turned off the light by her bed.

Idan fell asleep within the hour, but Korra was kept awake by her thoughts. She worried about her parents. Would they still have their bending? She worried about the success of their mission the next day. She worried about Mako being angry with her. She worried about Mako not wanting Idan.

Eventually, she fell asleep, dreaming of fire and water and steam.

* * *

"Mako! Duck!" Korra yelled as an electrified claw flew toward his head.

The firebender managed to roll out of the way and send a blast of white-hot flames to the owner of the weapon.

Korra and Mako were on the steps of Town Hall, attempting to get inside. That's where Amon was.

The South Dock had been an intentional distraction. Amon had a full spectacle planned for the town center, a mass demonstration of him stripping a whole waterbending tribe of their bending. He hadn't wanted the Avatar and her friends to get in the way.

Korra hadn't seen her parents in the line-up of 25 waterbenders, but maybe one of them had information on her parents. She had intended to free them all. Unfortunately, the chi-blockers had forced all but four of the waterbenders back into prison transport vehicles.

"Fall back!" Amon's voice rang over the loudspeakers he had installed on his half of the city.

The chi blockers stopped fighting abruptly.

Korra and Mako looked at each other, utterly baffled. The four water benders they had freed backed themselves up against Korra and Mako. None of them moved.

Amon stepped out into the sunlight, surrounded by his men. He looked down at them on the steps. Korra could imagine a wicked smile on the face beneath the mask.

"Avatar." His voice was still broadcast over the loudspeakers. "I had so hoped that all of your friends would be here for my little spectacle today. Where are the airbenders, dear?"

Korra scowled. As far as she knew, Jinora and Tenzin were still at the South Dock. She and Mako had already split off from them when they caught wind of the diversion.

"Oh well, they'll hear the news anyway, I'm sure." Amon moved down a few more steps on the grand staircase.

Korra took a defensive stance, and Mako mirrored it.

"Aren't you going to ask what the news is?" Amon taunted.

"I don't care. Where are my parents, Amon?" Korra lowered her voice. She wanted him to know that she was serious.

"Pushy, pushy Avatar. Slow down. Your parents are unharmed, as of right now. I think you'll be very interested in my little announcement."

Korra refused to talk to him, refused to play his game.

"Fine. Be that way." Amon stepped away from her and opened his arms to the city. "Republic City!" He yelled, and his voice echoed over the loudspeakers. The whole city could hear this. "Today, I have captured the Avatar! She is willingly submitting to me."

"What?" Korra ran forward, shrugging off Mako's attempt to grab her when she moved past him. "No way! You're delirious!"

Amon whirled on her. "Really now?" He laughed, and the sound of his laughter echoing throughout the city made her blood run cold. "Not even to save your own child?"

Korra froze.

"That's right, Republic City! Your precious Avatar has a son! While her precious benders were sacrificing _everything_ to save themselves, she was gallivanting around town, having fun. The city was falling apart around her, and she was giving birth. So much for the Avatar defending her people! So much for benders caring about anyone but _themselves_!"

Korra couldn't think, couldn't move. Amon didn't have Idan. _Amon didn't have Idan. _The words played themselves over and over in her head.

Or did he?

At that moment, Amon turned. He spoke, and his voice no longer blasted through the speakers. These words were for her alone.

"Did you leave your child alone, Korra? Did all of your best fighters leave the bunker today? Leave bunker near the bay? The bunker I've watched for months now?" Amon's voice was all malice, and Korra felt her vision go blurry with anger and fear.

"Ahh!" Korra screamed at him, throwing all of her fear into her voice. She spun, throwing lightening and fire into Amon's face.

He dodged the flames with a quick dive to the side, but it gave her enough time to turn and run. She jumped down the steps of city hall. Her goal was solitary: get back to the bunker.

She realized Amon's chi-blockers weren't going after her when she rounded a street corner. No, there was no point. Amon knew exactly where she was going, and he already had men there.

There were citizens in the street, and all of them were looking at her. Some of them laughed. Some of them looked disgusted. Others looked afraid. None of them would meet her eyes.

"Naga!" She yelled, running through the streets, ignoring the people, hoping her pet would hear her. She saw the polar bear dog round the corner, running full tilt toward her.

A hand fell on her shoulder, and Korra spun to defend herself. But it was not an enemy.

It was Mako.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Mako's dark eyes searched hers. He looked very lost.

As Naga skidded to a halt next to them, Mako spoke.

"Korra, how could you not tell me?"


	10. Mako 3

Thanks for all the amazing reviews people! Sorry about taking so long. This week has been crazzzyyy at my internship. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy, my dears!

**Chapter 9- Mako**

_Your precious Avatar has a son._ The words echoed in his mind as he ran through the streets after Korra. He had told the waterbenders they had rescued where the nearest sewage drain was. He gave them a brief bit of directions of how to navigate the sewage system into the bending half of the city. He didn't have time to lead them himself. He had to follow Korra.

Mako ran faster as she rounded a corner in front of him, yelling for Naga.

Of course Idan was her son. The little boy was so attached to her. Of course.

Mako's mind jumped again. Idan was four. Idan was a firebender.

Idan was _his_ son.

Mako's throat was dry. His thoughts weren't straight. His heart hurt. His head hurt. So many thoughts ran through his head. He thought of Asami and her death. He thought of Korra and the way she had kissed him that one night. He thought of Idan.

When Korra halted to wait for Naga, he finally caught up to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, not being able to say her name.

She turned swiftly, body stiffening.

She didn't relax when she saw it was him. Her eyes widened.

He had never seen her more terrified, but the only thing he could think to say was, "Korra, how could you not tell me?"

Korra swallowed and shook her head. "Not now, Mako. We have to get back. We have to save him."

Mako's heart jumped. He nodded. Of course she was right. This was all too much. "Does he know?" Mako found himself asking, as he climbed behind Korra onto the polar bear dog. "Does Idan know that I'm...?" He couldn't say it. He remembered Bolin's smirk when Idan called him _Uncle_ Mako.

"Bolin knows," Mako said aloud.

Korra nodded slightly. She told Naga to head to their compound, and the polar bear dog took off.

"In the South Pole, Idan was afraid and called for his mom," Korra's voice was dry. "That's how Bolin found out. That's how Amon found out."

"Korra," he said, wanting to say a thousand things, but instead just saying, "I could have helped you."

"No," she answered. "Not at the time. But that doesn't mean I was right to keep it from you this long."

"It was right before Asami-" he began, but couldn't finish.

"Yes." She answered simply. "The city split the day after Idan was born. Some birthday present."

Mako remembered how angry he was with Korra for disappearing on some spiritual quest when the city was so wrought with danger. He also remembered how heartbroken he was at the time, over Asami and over Korra.

"That's why you stopped talking to me?" He whispered.

"No." Her voice was tight. "I felt bad for having sex with you while you were with Asami. So I avoided talking to you. I was letting you fix your relationship."

That was the first time either of them had mentioned that night since it happened, and hearing about it made his stomach flip. That made it real. That night had not been a dream.

"Korra, Asami and I broke up. I was a bastard to her. We were arguing in that non-bender's office the night that Asami was captured. We weren't paying attention. Maybe if I hadn't been so damn wrapped up in myself-"

He let his head fall onto Korra's back. He breathed in deeply. "I failed you both."

Korra didn't say anything, and he wished he could tell what she was thinking.

"It's not your fault that Asami died," Korra said. "If anything, it's mine. I left the city defenseless. I'm a sad excuse for an Avatar. The worst part is that Amon is completely right."

"Korra, no." Mako felt stupid. How could he think that Korra's change in behavior over the last five years was all because of him? Why didn't he talk to her about it?

Korra didn't say anything for a moment. When she spoke next, she spoke carefully.

"Mako, if it comes down to saving me or Idan, save Idan, okay?" Her voice was soft.

Mako's throat was dry. "That isn't going to happen."

"It might. They only want me, Mako. They want the Avatar in chains. They don't need Idan." She sat up straighter. "I sacrificed being Idan's mom to be the Avatar. But I will not sacrifice Idan to be the Avatar. It's time I acted like Idan's mother."

Mako couldn't think of anything to say. He wished that he could take her place.

"Korra, I'll save Idan. My first priority is to save Idan," he promised her. "I'll save our son. I promise."

Korra's breath was shaky, and he could feel that she was trying to steady her breathing. "Korra," he whispered her name gently, leaning his forehead against the back of her head. "We'll save him."

"Bolin's giving them hell," Korra said. "I just know it."

"I don't think Idan's going without a fight either," Mako added.

Korra's laugh was pained.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Mako's head was spinning. He felt stupid for not realizing who Idan was earlier, but how was he supposed to just _guess_ that Korra had a son? He hardly even believed that night with her happened. It felt like so long ago, and it was really more like a dream than reality. He barely believed it happened, so his mind didn't even let him entertain the possibility of Korra becoming pregnant.

A protectiveness for Idan that had already begun to form blossomed in his chest. The little firebender was his son, and suddenly he wanted to protect him just as much as he wanted to protect Korra.

Mako's heart fell when he saw large military grade tanks near the entrance to their compound.

"No," Korra choked.

As soon as they were close enough, Korra was off of Naga in the blink of an eye. She ran at the first tank and then stopped briefly, stomping hard on the ground with her right foot. A shaft of hard earth shoved upward beneath the tank, sending the large machine spinning out of Korra's way.

He saw Korra stumble from the effort of the earth bending, but then she ran toward the entrance of their compound.

Mako jumped off and ran after her, trying to put everything else out of his mind and just think about fighting.

The compound was a mess of overturned furniture, scorch marks, ripped earth, and fighting. Tenzin and Jinora were there; he could feel the residual gusts from their blasts of airbending. They were taking on six chi-blockers between the two of them.

Mako looked for Idan. He found Korra first; she had passed Tenzin and Jinora's fight. He followed her line of vision. She was heading toward Idan.

The little boy was standing next to a chi-blocker who was holding his arm in pain, his clothes scorched around where Idan had burned him. There were two chi-blockers looking between each other and Idan, obviously trying to decide how to best deal with the boy.

Bolin was holding off four chi-blockers alone, keeping them away from Idan as best he could.

Mako ran into the battle. He surpassed Jinora and Tenzin, who seemed to be holding their own. Bolin, on the other hand, was sweating profusely, and Mako noticed the wobble on the earth he bent. He recognized when his brother was working past exhaustion. Mako wondered how long it had taken Tenzin and Jinora to show up and help him.

Mako whirled a fireball straight into Bolin's nearest chi-blocker. The chi-blocker went sprawling, surprised by Mako's addition. Bolin's lip twitched into a small smile. Mako proceeded to fight alongside his brother, like old times.

After a few minutes of fighting, the scream of a child rang through the room. Mako looked to the source. Idan was in the arms of one of the chi-blockers. Korra was facing down the other one, but she was being sloppy. All of her blows were strong, but not well aimed. Emotions were controlling her bending.

Another yell, more restrained, came from much closer to him. Mako turned back, and Bolin was on the ground, a chi-blocker standing over him.

"No!" Mako yelled.

He couldn't get past the other chi-blockers quickly enough. He did finally take them out, but Bolin was gone, having already been dragged away by the chi-blocker.

Mako considered trying to go find his brother, but he had to help Korra and Idan. One chi-blocker still had Idan. Korra was keeping the one holding Idan and his partner from leaving.

"Take me!" Korra was saying.

Mako's eyes widened.

"Take me. I'm the Avatar; it's me you want. Let him go." Korra sent a burst of fire at him, but the soldier dodged it and ran forward, hitting her in the perfect location on her neck.

She fell to the ground, limp. Her eyes were still opened, and he could tell she was trying to speak.

A chi-blocker snapped shackles on her wrists. They were slightly electrified, just painful enough to keep the prisoner submissive, but not enough to knock them out.

"Let Idan go," Korra said, her teeth gritted in pain.

"Not that easy, Avatar. He's still a bender that must be purified."

Mako sent a stream of fire at the soldier, who rolled out of the way.

"Save Idan, Mako!" Korra yelled at him, her voice forced and pained.

Mako saw the chi-blocker with Idan running toward the exit. Jinora and Tenzin weren't in the front of the compound anymore. He started to run after Idan, but a chi-blocker who Mako had thought was knocked out grabbed his ankle from the ground.

Mako tumbled, kicking at the hand holding his ankle.

By the time he got the chi-blocker off of him, the compound was empty except for him and the fallen chi-blockers.

He tore for the outside, praying that they hadn't gotten away yet.

Korra and Idan were being loaded into the nearest truck, and Mako ran for them. He grabbed the closest soldier, pulling him back and punching him square in the jaw.

Korra was trying to fight out of her shackles, but every time she did, he saw her wince in pain. Electric shocks. A soldier shoved her into the back of the truck, and she fell on to her back.

Idan was similarly shackled and crying.

A chi-blocker grabbed Idan pulling him close, using him as a shield from Mako. "Give up, firebender."

Korra kicked with her unbound feet and shards of ice slammed into the soldier holding Idan, narrowly missing the boy. Idan fell to the ground, out of the soldier's grasp.

Mako grabbed the boy, and Idan clung to him. "Get Mommy," he whimpered just loud enough for Mako to hear.

Korra was being shackled at her ankles in the trunk of the car as he stood there. Three chi-blockers had appeared and were standing between he and Korra, advancing in a hope to capture them. Mako would be risking Idan to try to fight them or save her.

_Save Idan,_ he heard Korra's voice in his head.

Mako shifted Idan to his left hip. With his right arm, he mustered all of his remaining strength and moved his arm in an arc, creating a giant wall of red-hot fire separating Mako and Idan from the chi-blockers.

Separating Mako and Idan from Korra.

Idan reached out his hand. "No! Momma!"

When the wall of fire burned out, the truck bearing Korra was gone. Idan wept into Mako's shoulder, his fists balling in Mako's sweat-soaked shirt.

Mako turned, and the only thing he saw was Tenzin hugging Jinora. The chi-blockers had left with Bolin.

Mako fell to his knees, still holding the crying Idan in his arms.

"No."


	11. Korra 5

Hello all! Sorry for the wait! Hope it's worth it. Note: the italics indicate a dream/memory/flashback, whatever you'd like to call it. Enjoy! And thank all of you for your reviews! You're all lovely! ~KK

**Chapter 10- Korra**

Korra lifted her head just long enough to see Mako slam a wall of fire into the ground, stopping the chi-blockers from getting to he and Idan.

She breathed, hoping the chi-blockers would give up.

Her wish was granted.

The truck began rolling, and she was the lone captive in this truck. She just had to hope that no one else had been captured in another truck.

She laid back, trying to ignore the soft buzz of electricity in her shackles. Her vision was beginning to go dim in the corners. She had exhausted herself. Even she could tell that she had not been using her bending properly. She had thrown everything into it and had probably done more harm than good.

But Idan was safe. That's what mattered.

She smiled, feeling like a good mother for once. She didn't have the nagging guilt that she abandoned her son right now. She had done all she could for him, and that made her proud.

She passed out thinking of that last vision of Mako holding Idan, before fire obscured everything.

Korra dreamed...

_Mako was pacing along the shore. He was a silhouette against the setting sun. They were on air temple island, and Korra had just finished practicing with Tenzin. The whole affair was frustrating as usual. Air bending was impossible and, she was beginning to think, not worth it. _

_ "Hey Mako," she made sure to walk up behind him, so that maybe he would be surprised. _

_ He stiffened at her voice and turned swiftly. He relaxed as soon as he saw her. _

_ He looked tired and much older than eighteen._

_ Korra frowned. "What's wrong, Mako?" _

_ He ran a hand through his hair, and she realized that this was the first time she had ever seen his hair look absolutely disheveled. It wasn't the groomed spiky look she was used to. _

_ "Asami and I had a fight," he said simply, not looking at her. _

_ Korra forced herself not to react. She would not be jealous or petty. If Mako chose Asami, she could be okay with that. "Oh," she said, hoping she sounded like she didn't care. _

_ "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "She's very...sad."_

_ Korra didn't want to ask because she didn't want to seem nosy. She wasn't sure what was okay to ask without sounding too personally invested. "What about you?" She asked. _

_ She was Mako's friend. That was a safe question. _

_ "I'm..." He looked around at the sky and then found her eyes, "I'm tired of being confused."_

_ Korra walked a little closer to him, standing next to him; they were both looking out over the harbor. "Are you?" She looked over at him. "Are you still confused?" _

_ Mako wouldn't meet her gaze. He rubbed his arm absentmindedly. "Not as much as I used to be."_

_ Korra's heart thudded in her ears. What did that _mean_? Did that mean he was more comfortable with Asami? But why would he say that just after a fight with her._

_ "It's getting cold," Mako said, interrupting her thoughts. "Let's go inside." _

_ They walked together silently, heading toward their rooms. When it came time for them to part, Mako hesitated. Korra stopped next to him, raising her eyebrows. "Do you want to talk a bit longer before bed?" He asked, seeming a bit self conscious._

_ She barely hesitated. "Uh. Sure. In your room? Or somewhere else?" She had been in his room before. Sure. They did that all the time. But not at night, and not without Bolin and Asami present. _

_ "Well, I don't want to run into anyone else. So, maybe my room?" Mako sounded casual, but she couldn't tell if there was more to it than that. _

_"Alright," she agreed. _

_ She followed him into his room. They took seats on opposite ends of the bed, each leaning against the wall. She felt very aware that they were alone, and she couldn't tell if Mako was experiencing the same jumpiness that she was._

_ The awkwardness that she had been feeling faded quickly as they began to talk. _

_ They didn't talk about Asami or Amon. They talked about their childhoods and their favorite things to do. They talked about how they both loved lying in the sun on hot days. They talked about their favorite bending moves. _

_ They laughed and they got serious and then they would laugh again. _

_ Korra relished the absolute comfort she felt. She forgot about all of her troubles. Mako made her forget. He made her feel normal. The weight of being the Avatar was gone, if only for a while. _

_ The whole night was innocent enough up until Korra began talking about fishing with her father in the South Pole. Mako's relaxed smile faded, and his eyes fell to his hands._

_ She didn't realize his reaction for a while, but when she did, she stopped talking. "Mako?"_

_ "Sorry." He tried to smile, but he just looked terribly sad. "I fished with my dad too. It was actually the last thing we did together before..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. You should finish your story." _

_ Korra didn't say anything. She just watched him, looking at his messy hair and at the sad tilt of __his mouth. He was vulnerable right now. She only hesitated briefly before joining him at the head of his bed. _

_ She leaned against the wall next to him and held out her hand. She and Bolin held hands sometimes, but it was a very silly thing, more like being young siblings. She would be lying if she said this wasn't any different. _

_ Mako took her hand in his. She glanced over at him. "Do you want to talk about him? Your dad?" _

_ Mako didn't answer for a while. He looked over at her, his eyes taking on a new spark in them. _

_ "My dad told me once that my mother was the best thing in his life. He told me to make sure I didn't let go of a girl that I-" Mako stumbled over his words. Korra couldn't tell if he was trying to push her away or bring her closer. Was the girl he was talking about her or Asami? "Korra, he'd have loved you," Mako finished._

_ Mako's eyes were simultaneously passionate and vulnerable, and Korra couldn't take it. She let go of his hand and pulled his head toward her with both of her hands. _

_ She kissed him. She was assaulted by his taste and smell, and she just wanted more. Mako barely hesitated in his response, turning himself toward her and deepening the kiss. _

_ She pressed him down onto his back, climbing on top of him and losing herself in his kiss, his body..._

_ Korra woke the next morning in Mako's bed feeling warm and comfortable. She was on her side, facing the door. The sun was just about to rise, which meant that Mako would soon be rising too. She could feel his heat against her back. _

_ He had fallen asleep holding her, but they had shifted as they slept. _

_ She pulled herself into a sitting position gently, trying not to wake Mako, fighting the urge to pull the covers with her to cover her nakedness. She was a little in shock over where she was and what they had done._

_ Mako was sprawled out, the sheets only covering up to his hip bone. Korra's eyes traced the pale skin of his chest and flashes of last night, of touching that chest ran through her mind._

_ She considered waking him up, but in the light of morning, she was nervous about his reaction to all of this. Weren't he and Asami still together?_

_ A pit of guilt formed in her stomach, and she panicked. _

_ Korra gently got out of bed and gathered her clothing from various places around the room. She found her pants next to his desk...and on his desk, she saw a ribbon. It didn't seem like much, but Korra remembered Asami wearing that ribbon in her hair. _

_ The pit of guilt grew, and she dressed quickly. _

_ Without ever waking Mako, Korra slipped from the room. _

Korra awoke from her dreaming memory when a soldier pulled her from the back of the transport vehicle. She felt cold in comparison to the warmth of that night in Mako's bed. The memory was still vivid, and her dream had caused her to relive it.

The chi-blockers escorted her down dark tunnels, until she came to a row of prison cells. She was tossed unceremoniously into the last one.

"Amon will want to see you bright an early tomorrow morning. I suggest you get some sleep for your big day, Avatar."

She struggled to a sitting position. She was displeased, but not surprised that they weren't removing her shackles. Just before they shut the door to her cell, she saw a sight that made her heart fall into her stomach.

Bolin was being carried between two chi-blockers, his head hanging loosely. She couldn't tell if he was knocked out or just exhausted.

As her door closed, she let her head fall onto the wall and closed her eyes. She hadn't made a clean sacrifice. Idan might be safe, but Bolin had gone down with her.


	12. Mako 4

So I know I am a horrible person, but I just finished my senior year of college (woo!) and dealt with a lot of personal issues this year. But I have finally come back around and I just rewatched Korra so I feel all warm and fuzzy about this fanfiction again, so here I am.

Thank you so much for the private messages telling me to keep going, and thank you for being so nice about it! I hope some of you are still interested in reading this!

Luckily, I still have my old outline, so I should be able to keep going without any problems. Hopefully I haven't gotten crappy at writing in the interim. Thanks, dears! -Kristin

* * *

**Chapter 11- Mako**

Mako had not let Idan out of his sight since they lost Korra. He knew the least that he could do for her, since he had failed to save her, was to keep safe the boy for whom she had sacrificed herself. _Their son_.

Idan cried and screamed for two solid hours after the attack. He had beat and ripped into Mako's shirt, yelling at him and for him. Mako's shirt smoldered with licks of flame that the boy inadvertently bent in his anger. Mako ignored the slight burns and held Idan tightly, gently stroking his hair, knowing the feeling of utter terror and loss.

"You're safe, Idan," he told the boy firmly once they arrived at Air Temple Island, abandoning the hide-out to its destruction.

Tenzin was tending to Jinora's injuries while Mako dealt with the heartbroken boy. The older airbender was obviously deeply troubled, glancing at Mako and his son with equal parts sadness and bewilderment. They were all coming to terms with the fact that Korra had somehow cultivated two separate lives, and none of them had even noticed.

Idan's cry had faded to a whimper at this point, his cheeks and throat raw with tears. Mako set him on a table and began gently removing the boy's tattered clothing to inspect for injuries. "My mom is going to die."

"No," Mako said, more firmly than he felt. "I am going to get her back."

Idan suddenly began searching around the room of broken fighters frantically. "Where is Uncle Bolin?" He demanded.

Mako forced his face not to falter. "He's with Korr—your mom. They'll keep each other safe."

The boy's eyes flickered between upset and comforted by that thought. "But where will I go now? Gran-Gran and Papi are gone and I'm all alone now…" Idan's tears began anew as the boy babbled.

"Shhh. Shhh." Mako pulled the boy into another hug, letting his tears soak into Mako's shirt. Mako's heart broke knowing that Idan would rather it were Korra or Bolin with him right now. He swallowed his pride.

Mako knelt down so that he was eye level with his son. "I'm going to keep you safe, Idan. I promise that. And I'm going to try my hardest to get your family back to you, okay?"

Idan did not respond, but he became more pliable to Mako's attempts at first aid. He only had a few minor burns and cuts, thankfully. He redressed the boy in a too-big air acolyte uniform over the bandaged injuries.

The boy stopped crying slowly during Mako's ministrations, his eyes drooping in exhaustion.

"Just let Uncle Mako take care of everything, alright?" Mako's throat burned with emotion on the words.

He lifted Idan gently into his arms, cradling him close. Idan's heavy eyelids shut slowly and he unconsciously nestled his small body into Mako's chest.

Tenzin saw them and motioned with his hand for them to follow. "Pema and the younger children have been evacuated to a more secure location," the older airbender intoned gently, once they were in the hallway. "Idan may use their rooms for sleeping."

"I…I don't want to leave him. I don't want him to wake up alone." Mako gripped the boy slightly closer.

"Yes." Tenzin paused, glancing at him. "I agree. However, you and I have much to discuss, and Idan needs to sleep. I would recommend waking him and telling him where you will be, which is just down the hallway."

"Yeah, a good idea." Mako walked slowly into a room filled with the soft colors associated with small children. Hopefully it would be a mild comfort to Idan.

Once he situated the boy in the small bed, he gently shook him, regretting having to intrude on the much needed rest. "Idan?"

The child woke up easily and took in his surroundings with alarm. Then his eyes settled on Mako, and he remembered what had happened. He did not make a sound, letting his eyes fall sadly to his hands.

"I am going to leave you to sleep, Idan. You'll be safe here, I promise. I will be just down the hallway if you need me. And I will come get you as soon as I am done meeting with my friend," Mako motioned to Tenzin, who stood in the doorway smiling gently at the injured child. "Will you be alright?"

Idan nodded slowly, clearly alarmed, but agreeable.

"Okay," Mako reached out his arm and smoothed Idan's hair back, attempting to be comforting. "Sleep well."

Idan let his eyes shut, and Mako moved from the bed. He shut the door to the bedroom softly and matched pace with Tenzin as they walked back the way they came.

Mako had nothing to say, his mind reeling with the events of the afternoon. He could not remove the images of Bolin and Korra that were seared in his mind as they made their last stand.

"Idan is your son," Tenzin broke the silence. Although it was not a question, the query was implied.

"Yes." Mako said flatly. "I didn't know until this afternoon. Korra kept it a secret because she is the Avatar."

"Yes, I understand the motivation behind her keeping her motherhood a secret. But I don't understand why she did not tell you."

"Asami," Mako answered easily, "But also my own idiocy. I pushed her away, and she took that as rejection. It's my fault…again." His hands fisted at his sides, and he felt the burn of his fingernails into skin.

"Mako," Tenzin's voice was gentle. The older man stopped and put a gentle hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You are not at fault for this. Korra and Asami were both mature young women who made their own decisions. They were both extraordinarily brave in the face of danger, and both fought with astonishing dedication. Same as you."

"I should have saved—"

"You have done the best that you could. And look, Idan is _safe_, which is obviously what Korra would want in this situation. We will get her and Bolin back." Tenzin freed Mako's shoulder. "I have already called in all of our closest friends, both benders and non-benders. They are in the main meeting room. We will make a plan for when Amon makes his move, which I am guessing will be soon."

Tenzin and Mako walked into a room filled with people, many of whom Mako recognized. Silence fell upon their entry, and some of them eyed Mako with a knowing glance.

"Tenzin," an older man stepped forward. He was an old water tribe Elder, Mako remembered, who had come to Republic City as a representative for the waterbenders in the bending half of the city.

His face was contorted in a very judgmental frown. "This whole mess—and hopefully slander—about Korra having a child-"

"-is True, Elder," Tenzin said simply. "The child has been secured safely in this compound. However, Avatar Korra and her friend Bolin have been captured, along with—as I am sure you have heard—Avatar Korra's parents, from the Southern Water Tribe."

A few people shifted uncomfortably, muttering among themselves. Mako could make out words like "irresponsible" and "disastrous" uttered multiple times, and it was all he could do not to turn and leave the room to go sit with Idan.

Then Lin Beifong stepped forward, hands on her hips and face in a scowl. "Hey, why don't we all get over the fact that Avatar Korra is a normal human being underneath her Avatar armor for five seconds and get to saving our city already."

A few people turned to her, surprised at the force in her words.

"Avatar Korra has a child," the old Police Chief said starkly. She spread her fingers before her as if asking for someone to speak contrarily to her. "So what? She is still the Avatar, and she is still captured by a maniac intent upon ripping this world to shreds. This information does nothing to change who she is. We can deal with whatever fallout later, but right now, we need to work on getting her back. And maybe, just maybe, we can finally end this damned war."

Mako could have kissed her, if she weren't so utterly terrifying.

Tenzin had a nostalgic smile on his face. "Lin is right, everyone. Now let's get to work."

As Tenzin gathered everyone around a table, Mako could have sworn he saw Lin Beifong give Mako a somehow simultaneously sympathetic and assessing glance.

An hour into hashing out strategies and ideas, the table had broken into multiple factions, each discussing intently their own ideas or portion of the grand plan. The room was getting to be chaotic again, and Mako wanted to bang his head against a wall. This was why he, Bolin, Korra, and Jinora had kept most of their missions simple.

Suddenly, Mako felt a soft tug at his leg. He looked down and was surprised to see Idan, who must have sneaked through the door unseen, which was not entirely unsurprising since the boy was small and dividers partitioned this room so that multiple meetings could take place in relative privacy.

Idan was whispering something, and Mako had to lean down to hear. Lin Beifong, who was seated next to Mako, was the first to notice the young visitor. She raised an eyebrow.

"I want to help," Idan whispered. "And I don't want to be alone again." The boy was intent, his eyes shining with a ferocity that Mako often saw in Korra and Bolin.

Mako lifted Idan into his lap, effectively allowing the whole table to see the newest addition to the room. Everyone fell silent.

Lin Beifong broke the silence. "Hello, young sir, are you the Avatar's son?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

Idan's head whipped around to Mako in alarm. "No one is supposed to know. Mommy said so," he whispered urgently.

"It's alright," Mako promised, smiling.

Idan hesitated before nodding, his eyes intent again. He looked to the old earthbender and said, "Yes, I am. My name is Idan."

Idan straightened his back and laid his hands flat on the table, he tilted his head to look at the room full of adults. Only Mako could tell that his whole body was shaking.

"We are going to get my mom back," his small voice carried to every adult ear, and Mako watched as each face in the room softened. "And my Uncle Bolin and my Gran-Gran and my Papi and all of the people that Amon took from their families."

A few eyes quirked at _Uncle_ Bolin, glancing between Mako and Idan with appraising eyes, but each eventually fell back to Idan.

The room was silent for a long while. Idan shrank back into Mako, his face starting to flush with embarrassment. Mako put a comforting hand on the boy's back, and he was about to say something when the older water tribe Elder stood shakily from his seat.

"Young Idan," the Elder said firmly, looking around the table at the crew of benders and non-benders before finally settling on the Avatar's child. "We will do our best to bring Avatar Korra back to you. I promise."


End file.
